


His Better Half

by RedFox13



Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied Relationships, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24782974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFox13/pseuds/RedFox13
Summary: Viola goes out to find Gascoigne after the hunt. Henryk has a run in with Eileen.
Relationships: Father Gascoigne/Viola
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	His Better Half

The night of the hunt drew to a close once again, the cloudy sky shown orange reflecting the blazing fires illuminating the town below. The stench of blood and smoke hung heavily in the air, nearly burying the holy incense that granted protection from the beastly scourge. The wild shrieks and howls of madmen and beasts rang out from somewhere in the distance. No sane person would dare set foot outside during a hunt, but one soul did.

Amidst the dingy cobblestone streets a woman walked alone, her deep purple dress stood in stark contrast to the drab gray stone of the buildings around her. The rustle of her skirt was barely audible as she moved along. Her pale blue eyes scanned the carnage, piles of mutilated corpses lay scattered about. Beastly faces once human now contorted in agony, their empty eyes staring at nothing. To her this was nothing new, she'd grown accustomed to such morbid sights, she was a hunter's wife after all. A trail of crimson drops sprinkled across the ground led away from the corpses. Following them she wandered down a narrow alley to a courtyard.

There a hunter in familiar yellow garb was resting on a bench near a stagnant well. His hands still firmly grasped his saw cleaver, at first she thought he was asleep. But as soon as she entered the courtyard his head snapped up, his cold steely eyes shown bright with bloodlust and adrenaline. But a moment later his gaze softened as he recognized the woman. "Viola? You shouldn't be out here." His voice was calm and steady, but his concern was clear by how he scanned the area. He wouldn't dare let a beast get near her.

"You know why I have to be here, Henryk." She replied. At that the old hunter gave a tired sigh, "He hasn't come home yet." It was more of a statement than a question. "No, he's been out since early yesterday afternoon. That's far too long, even for him." The concern was clear in her voice. Henryk stood and stretched a moment before checking his equipment. "I won't allow you to search for him alone." His tone left no room for debate. Falling in step beside her the pair moved like ghosts through the empty streets. Henryk paused as the familiar chime of a silver bell caught his ear. Laying a hand on Viola's shoulder he motioned for her to listen. A moment later the sound of metal scraping against stone and harsh breathing came from a darkened side street.

Turning to look they saw the towering figure of a church hunter slumped against the side of a building. The broad brim of his hat concealed his eyes, and his long dark duster was slick with blood. His mouth hung open revealing abnormally large canines, every breath shown like smoke in the cool night air. Alarm bells were sounding in Henryk's mind, his instinct was screaming for him to run. A blood drunk hunter was a force to be reckoned with, but he wouldn't leave. With Viola there he would stand his ground and fight to the death.

Viola gazed on her dear hunter with worry. He looked so tired, and by the way his hand was resting on his side it looked as if he was wounded. Taking a small step forward she was stopped by Henryk laying a hand on her shoulder. His eyes sent a silent warning, be careful. Viola gently shrugged his hand away and proceeded forward. Henryk let his hand rest on his pistol, ready to fire if needed. The stench of beast blood grew stronger as Viola got closer, she said a quiet prayer that it wasn't too late.

.....................

Gascoigne had stopped to rest against a wall for just a moment. He was exhausted, his limbs felt like lead as he loosely grasped his axe. It drug along the ground noisily sending sparks up in its wake. Tonight the beasts had seemed stronger than ever, and for every one he killed ten more appeared. The sweet scent of blood made his stomach churn in disgust, yet despite his hatred of it he couldn't seem to part himself from it. The hunt had come to an end, but there was one beast he had yet to slay.

This one was the most elusive and sinister he faced. It clouded his thoughts and left him in a blood soaked haze, it burned through his veins, whispered to him at the back of his mind, doing everything it could to drive him mad. The scourge and the hunt had taken its toll on him, and even now he was fighting to keep his inner beast at bay. He almost didn't hear who was approaching until they were right in front of him.

The scent of jasmine greeted him as a pair of delicate slender hands grasped his face. He recoiled at her touch, taking a large step back. "Stay...away...." His tired voice came out as a low growl. "Please..." He didn't trust himself, he was still somewhat blood drunk and the temptation was nearly too great. "I'm not leaving you, Gascoigne." Viola's voice was soft, but it cut through the haze like a knife. A hand reached up to rest on his cheek, the other grabbed the hand that held his axe. "Please love, it's time to come home." His inner beast retreated at her touch, the haze in his mind slowly began to clear. His tired eyes finally came to gaze on the woman standing before him. "Viola?" His voice was now like a broken whisper. His axe clattered noisily to the ground as he released his grip, he sunk to his knees and wrapped his arms around her like a drowning man clinging to a life ring.

He rested his head on her shoulder as she began to rub circles on his back. "It's alright, my dear. You're safe, let's get home. You need to rest." Viola whispered into his ear. Somehow he found the energy to stand, picking up his axe he rested it on his shoulder and walked alongside her. Henryk breathed a sigh of relief and let his hand fall to his side. He trailed along behind them as he watched for signs of danger. All the while he trailed drops of blood in his wake.

Once he had seen Viola and Gascoigne safely inside Henryk turned to leave. Going under the bridge he felt someone fall in step beside him, a dark shadow hung in his peripheral along with the rustle of feathers. "How long do you plan on ignoring that wound?" Eileen asked with a scolding tone. "Long enough to get home. I'm out of vials..." Henryk shrugged without looking her way. "You're as pale as a sheet, don't think you're going home in your shape." The crow said casually. "Come home with me and I'll patch you up." She added.

Henryk smiled faintly as he pulled down his mask. "That sounds lovely." He replied. By the time they reached Eileen's apartment Henryk was feeling lightheaded. Eileen was quick to let him in and lock the door behind her. "Alright, strip down. You're not getting beast blood all over everything." Eileen said as she walked to her bedroom for a blood vial. "You must be eager if you want to skip the foreplay." Henryk muttered softly. "Such a dirty mind for a gentleman." Eileen called back. When she returned Henryk was standing there in his boxers, a bloody gash was still bleeding on his side. "Sit." Eileen pointed to the couch. Henryk complied and a moment later he felt the familiar pinch of a needle in his leg. As the blood healed his wound Eileen cleaned up the dried remnants with a damp cloth.

Returning to her room she brought back a pair of pants and a shirt for Henryk to wear. "You left these from our last encounter." She sighed as she slipped off her mask. A pair of deep brown eyes watched him intently as he got dressed. "It's rude to stare, as a lady you should know this." Henryk laughed quietly. "You stare at me all the time." Eileen shot back. "Only because a beauty with your grace is so rare." Henryk smirked. "I know what you're trying to pull and it's working." Eileen crossed her arms. "Well, if I'm not imposing..." Henryk grinned.

"Get your ass in that bed, now!" Eileen said cooly as she pointed towards her room. "Yes ma'am!" Henryk replied. Standing he paused a moment to kiss Eileen on the cheek before continuing to her bedroom.


End file.
